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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday that he has authorized the Minnesota National Guard to help Winona County officials respond to a cyberattack.

The county had not issued a statement on the nature or scope of the attack as of early Wednesday. But Walz’s announcement said it started on Monday and “disrupted critical systems and digital services.”

“The attack continued into Tuesday, April 7, significantly impairing the county’s ability to deliver vital emergency and municipal services,” the governor’s office reported.

“Cyberattacks are an evolving threat that can strike anywhere, at any time,” Walz said in the statement. “Swift coordination between state and local experts matters in these moments. That's why I am authorizing the National Guard to support Winona County as they work to protect critical systems and maintain essential services.”

Walz’s statement said other state agencies, along with the FBI and outside cybersecurity experts, were responding to the incident. The governor’s office said the county requested support from the Guard “due to the scale and complexity of the incident.”

While county officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, Winona Mayor Scott Sherman told MPR News that the city was aware of — and is following — the incident, but its effects on city services had been minimal. He emphasized that the county, not the city, was targeted by the cyberattack.

Earlier this year, Winona County reported that it had “recently identified and responded to a ransomware incident affecting our computer network.” 

“Upon discovery, we immediately initiated an investigation to assess the scope and impact of the incident. We are working closely with a third-party cybersecurity and data forensics experts and local, state and federal law enforcement. Our IT department and cybersecurity team are actively testing and analyzing our systems,” county officials said in a 

County officials have not said whether that earlier incident is related to this week’s cyberattack.

Walz previously authorized the National Guard to 

 when it experienced a major cyberattack last summer.

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Andrew Krueger

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday that he has authorized the Minnesota National Guard to help Winona County officials respond to a cyberattack.


Walz authorizes National Guard to help Winona County respond to cyberattack

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